Historical Reference of The State Inspectorate on Wildlife protection under the President of the Republic of Belarus

By the Decree of the Council of People’s Commissars of the BSSR, dated December 3, 1921 a department of fishery and fishing was established at the People’s Commissariat of the Land of the BSSR (CGAOR BSSR, f48, op.1, file 807, sheet 19). According to the decree of the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the BSSR, dated November 17, 1922, No. 30, the department of fishing and fishery was abolished since December 1, 1922. The general inspection of lakes and pools with the aim of prevention of criminal extermination of the fish was entrusted to the department of agriculture of the People’s Commissariat of the Land comprising the established department of fishing and fishery which existed by 1929. In 1929 the Belarusian Fishery Trust was organized at the People’s Commissariat of the Land , comprising the State Inspectorate of Supervision of Fishing Facilities. Then, the State Inspectorate was resubordinated to the People’s Commissariat of the Ministry of Food of the BSSR.

In accordance with the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the BSSR, dated July 22, 1939, the Council of People’s Commissars of the BSSR ordered to liquidate the Belarusian Fishery Trust at the People’s Commissariat of the Land since October 1, 1939 and to establish the Chief Department of the Fishing Industry at Council of People’s Commissars of the BSSR. The same decree transferred the State Inspectorate of Supervision of Fishing Facilities at the People’s Commissariat of the Ministry of Food to the newly organized Chief Department of the Fishing Industry.

Due to the temporary German occupation of the Belarus territory the activity of the Chief Department of the Fishing Industry was terminated.

By the Decree of the Council of People’s Commissars of the BSSR, dated January 15, 1944 the Chief Department of the Fishing Industry resumed its work.

By the Decree of the Council of People’s Commissars of the BSSR, dated March 2, 1944, No. 68 the structure and the staff of the State Inspectorate of Protection and Regulation of Fishery of the BSSR were approved.

On January 28, 1944 the Council of People’s Commissars of the BSSR approved the Provision on the Chief Department of the Fishing Industry at the Council of People’s Commissars of the BSSR.

The Department managed all water pools of the fishing industry and distributed them among the users, it managed state fishery facilities, controlled fulfillment of fishing roots and took care of increase and protection of fish reserves.

In accordance with the manning table of the Chief Department of the Fishing Industry at the Council of People’s Commissars of BSSR approved by the State Staff Commission at the Council of People’s Commissars of the USSR the department of fish protection and fishery was established on March 6, 1947.

In 1948-1952 the structure of the central headquarters of the Chief Department of the Fishing Industry was not changed. In 1952 12 province inspectors and one interregional inspector in Braslav region of Polotsk province worked in 1952 in Belarus within province executive committees.

On the basis of the Law of the Supreme Council of the USSR, dated March 15, 1953 “On Reformation of Ministries of the USSR”, the Council of Ministers of the BSSR in its decree, dated April 27, 1953, No. 511, ordered to unite the Chief Department of the Fishing Industry at the Council of Ministers of the BSSR with the Ministry of Light and Food Industry of the BSSR. After separation of the Ministry of Light and Food Industry of the BSSR on October 30, 1953 to the Ministry of the Industrial Products of Wide Use of the BSSR and the Ministry of Food Products of the BSSR the Chief Department of the Fishing Industry was transferred to the latter.

By the Decree of the Council of Ministers of the BSSR, dated May 7, 1954, No. 414, the Chief Department of the Fishing Industry of the Ministry of Food Products of the BSSR was again included to the Council of Ministers of the BSSR. The structure of the central headquarters was determined comprising eight departments, including the department of fish protection and fishing.

On August 11, 1954 the Council of Ministers of the BSSR approved a new Provision on the Chief Department of the Fishing Industry under the Council of Ministers of the BSSR (Belglavrybprom). According to this provision Belglavrybprom was the union-republican control body, and it was subordinated in its activity to both the Council of Ministers of the BSSR and the Ministry of the Fishing Industry of the USSR.

By the Decree of the Council of Ministers of the BSSR, dated September 29, 1954, “On improvement of protection of fish reserves in water pools of the Belarusian SSR” the State Inspectorate for protection of fish reserves and control of fishing (Gosrybnadzor) was organized with 5 persons in the central headquarters and 19 inspectors for provinces of the BSSR.

In accordance with the Decree of the Council of Ministers of the BSSR, dated February 2, 1955, “On the measures for elimination of drawbacks in the organizational structure and staff of the Chief Department of the Fishing Industry at the Council of Ministers of the BSSR the Belglavrybprom ordered to cancel a number of departments on February 12, 1955. According to a new manning table for 1955 the central headquarters included: the management, the production and technical department, the department of pond facilities, the department (inspectorate) of fish protection and fishery, the planning and economic department, the book accounting department, the administrative and economic department. Such a structure of the central headquarters of the Belglavrybprom was permanent by 1957.

By the Decree of the Council of Ministers of the BSSR, dated June 7, 1957, No. 336, the Chief Department of the Fishing Industry at the Council of Ministers of the BSSR was liquidated due to transfer of its subordinate enterprises and organizations to the Council of National Economy of the BSSR.

By the order of the Chairman of the Council of National Economy of the BSSR, dated June 21, 1957, No. 23, the Belarusian Republican Trust of the Fishing Industry (Belrybtrust) was formed and transferred under control of the Department of the Food Industry of the Council of National Economy of the BSSR.

For improvement of management of the fishing industry and in accordance with the decree of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Belarus and the Council of Ministers of the BSSR, dated March 20, 1959, No. 215 “On measures of the further development of the fishing industry, reproduction and protection of fish reserves in water reservoirs of the BSSR” the Council of National Economy of the BSSR organized the Department of the Fishing industry of the Council of National Economy of the BSSR by its decree No. 49, dated April 17, 1959. The Belrybtrust of the Department of the Food Industry of the Council of National Economy of the BSSR was liquidated.

By the Order of the Council of Ministers of the BSSR, dated May 11, 1959, No. 334, the State Inspectorate of Fish Protection and Fishery was transferred and subordinated directly to the Council of National Economy of the BSSR.
By the Order of the Council of Ministers of the BSSR, dated August 29, 1960, No. 480, the State Inspectorate of Fish Protection and Fishery (Belgosrybvod) was given to the State Committee of the Council of Ministers of the BSSR for nature protection with the rights of a department. Protection and reproduction of fish reserves were performed via province inspectorates of the State Committee of Nature Saving.

By the Order of the Council of Ministers of the BSSR, dated June 2, 1962, No. 523, “Issues of the State Committee of the Council of Ministers of the USSR for Fishery”, functions, subordination and title of the Belgosrybvod were changed.

By the order of GLAVRYBVOD (the Chief Department of protection and reproduction of fish reserves and regulation of fishing under the State Committee of the Council of Ministers of the USSR for Fishery), dated September 26, 1962, No 41/П on the basis of Belgosrybvod of the State Committee of the Council of Ministers of the BSSR for nature protection the Belarusian Water Pool Department for protection and reproduction of fish reserves and regulation of fishing (BELRYBVOD) was organized.

By the order of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Belarus and the Council of Ministers of the BSSR, dated October 20, 1962, No. 461, BELRYBVOD was put out of the State Committee of the Council of Ministers of the BSSR for nature protection and was given to the State Committee of the Council of Ministers of the USSR for fishing facilities in the quantity of 22 staff units. The main tasks of BELRYBVOD included struggle against poaching, allocation of fish trade sectors, issue of permits for fishing, reproduction of fish reserves and regulation of fishing in water pools.

In accordance with the order of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Belarus, dated February 19, 1992, No. 91, “On provision of political and economic independence of the Republic of Belarus” the Belarusian Water Pool Department for protection and reproduction of fish reserves and regulation of fishing (BELRYBVOD) was transformed to the Chief Department for protection and reproduction of fish reserves and regulation of fishing at the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus (Glavrybvod).

By the Order of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus, dated March 14, 1994, No. 145 the Glavrybvod was transformed to the department of fish protection under the Ministry of natural resources and environment protection of the Republic of Belarus. By the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus, dated September 23, 1994, No 122, the Department was transformed into the Committee of fish protection of the Ministry of natural resources and environment protection of the Republic of Belarus.

By the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus, dated January 11, 1997, No. 30, the Committee of fish protection was transformed into the Committee of fish protection under the Ministry of natural resources and environment protection of the Republic of Belarus.

By the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus, dated September 24, 2001, No. 516 the Committee of fish protection was liquidated, and by the order of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus, dated October 31, 2001, No. 1586, the Department of protection of fish resources and hunted animals was established within the structure of the Ministry of natural resources and environment protection of the Republic of Belarus.

By the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus, dated January 27, 2003, No. 45, the State Inspectorate on Wildlife Protection under the President of the Republic of Belarus was formed on the basis of the Department of protection of fish resources and hunted animals.

The State Inspectorate on Wildlife protection under the President of the Republic of Belarus (The State inspectorate) is an expressly authorized state agency accountable to the President of the Republic of Belarus, which exercise within the scope of its authority state control over Wildlife protection and management.

Main tasks of the State Inspectorate:

performance of the state control of protection and the use of wild animals referred to objects of hunting and fishing, as well as wood and bush vegetation and other wild growing plants;

coordination of the activity of state bodies and other organizations for carrying out the state control over protection and use of wild animals referred to hunting and fishing objects;

control over taking the proper measures by fishing organizations for provision of safety of fish in ponds of these organizations.

Presently, it includes 6 province and 41 interregional inspectorates. All territory of the Republic of Belarus is under their state control. By the order of the Chief of the State Inspectorate, dated December 2, 2008, No. 63, the date of December 3, 1921 is to be considered the date of establishment of the State Inspectorate.

Note: The historical reference of the State Inspectorate on Wildlife Protection under the President of the Republic of Belarus has been worked out on the basis of archive documents and the existing documents.